SENATE BILL REPORT

HB 1102

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Highways & Transportation, April 3, 2003

Title: An act relating to exchange agreements for environmental mitigation sites.

Brief Description: Revising the provision for exchange agreements for environmental mitigation sites.

Sponsors: Representatives Murray, Ericksen, Rockefeller, Wood and Mielke.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Highways & Transportation: 4/1/03, 4/3/03 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAYS & TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators Horn, Chair; Benton, Vice Chair; Swecker, Vice Chair; Esser, Finkbeiner, Haugen, Jacobsen, Kastama, Oke, Prentice and Spanel.

Staff: Kelly Simpson (786-7403)

Background: The Department of Transportation (DOT) may convey properties under its jurisdiction that serve as environmental mitigation sites to other agencies, tribal governments, or private nonprofit environmental conservation groups incorporated in Washington State. In exchange for the conveyance, grantees of the properties must assume all future maintenance and operation obligations and costs regarding the properties, and must preserve the properties as environmental mitigation sites.

Summary of Amended Bill: The class of nonprofit groups that may receive DOT environmental mitigation sites is expanded to include "nature conservancy corporations." These groups are tax-exempt nonprofit environmental conservation groups not limited to those incorporated in Washington State.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill: The conveyance is permitted to be by a form of conveyance other than quitclaim deed.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This bill fixes legislation enacted last session by permitting DOT to convey its environmental mitigation sites to out-of-state environmental nonprofit organizations, as well as those incorporated in Washington. Nonprofit organizations incorporated outside of Washington, such as The Nature Conservancy, want the opportunity to work with DOT to receive and manage these properties.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: PRO: Linda Anderson, DOT; Bill Robinson, The Nature Conservancy.